Method and assembly for soldier pile retaining wall leveling and erosion control

ABSTRACT

A method and assembly are disclosed for building a soldier pile shore wall or soldier pile retaining wall. The method and assembly are designed to permit the shore wall to be leveled along the bed of a body of water, whether the bed of the body of water is level or not level. Simultaneously, the method and assembly prevent erosion of the bed of the body of water in the vicinity of the assembly, extending the life-span of the shore wall, and enabling maintenance of the shore wall to be performed by permitting the assembly to be re-embedded in the bed of the body of water and re-leveled at the time when erosion eventually does occur.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX CONTAINING A COMPUTER PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the field of shore wall construction, the classical means ofinstalling soldier pile shore wall panels has been to use a static basemade of lagging that sits on the bottom of the body of water withadditional lagging placed atop the static base to disperse waves at thesurface of the body of water. Such installations suffer from a limitedlife expectancy and cannot be leveled upon the bed of a body of waterthat is not already level itself. Over time, the bed of the body ofwater will erode because of the wave action in the vicinity of the shorewall, causing erosion to occur under the shore wall and under the staticbase of the shore wall due to washing out of the bed of the body ofwater beneath the static base) of the shore wall. The course of theerosion process is magnified because classical means of laggingplacement permit water to migrate through and under the lagging when itis installed atop the bed of a body of water that is not level, due togaps between the bed of the body of water and the bottom edge of thestatic base of the shore wall. This erosion process ultimately causesbackfill behind the shore wall to wash out, that in turn causespremature failure of the shore wall. Usually, when such erosion occurs,shore walls subject to erosion at the bed of the body of water have tobe removed and completely replaced due to failure of the shore wallcaused by such erosion. The same holds true for soldier pile retainingwalls in general, in that migrating water can lead to premature failureand such retaining walls are not able to be leveled by classical means.

The claimed Method and Assembly for Soldier Pile Retaining Wall LevelingAnd Erosion Control enables the shore wall base element assembly of theshore wall to be driven or pounded into the bed of the body of water sothe upper edge surface of the assembly can be leveled, allowing for theplacement of any type of lagging, including, but not limited toconcrete, timber or corrugated steel upon the shore wall base elementassembly, resulting in a level shore wall with an uppermost edge that isabove and parallel to the surface of the body of water and that willprevent erosion along the periphery of a body of water in general and inthe vicinity of the shore wall base element assembly in particular.

The claimed method and assembly employs a wedge-shaped design thatallows the shore wall base element assembly to cut into the bed of thebody of water when driven or pounded upon from above. Because of theclaimed design, the assembly can be leveled, even when the bed of thebody of water is not level, and provides a solid surface through whichwater cannot migrate, delaying the erosion process. The leveling of theshore wall base element assembly also enables the lagging panels abovethe surface of the water to be leveled at the uppermost edge, resultingin a pleasing aesthetic look that is not achieved by classical means ofcreating soldier pile shore walls, which result in lagging panels atuneven heights above the water surface.

Eventually, the wave action of the body of water in the vicinity of theshore wall will erode the bed of the body of water in the area of theshore wall base element assembly. However, because of the shore wallbase element assembly's solid surface and ability to be leveled, erosionwill occur over a much longer period than with classical shore wall andsoldier pile retaining wall designs. Another novel feature of the methodand assembly is that when erosion ultimately does occur beneath theshore wall base element assembly of the shore wall, maintenance can bedone to the shore wall, whereas classical shore wall and soldier pileretaining wall designs would have required the entire removal andreinstallation of a new shore wall system. The shore wall base elementassembly can be driven further into the bed of the body of water,allowing the shore wall to be maintained and repaired instead ofreplaced. When erosion on the side opposite the landward side of theshore wall base element assembly eventually undermines the assembly atthe base of the shore wall, the lagging above the shore wall baseelement assembly can be removed, the steel I-beams serving as soldierpile can be extended and driven further into the bed of the body ofwater and the shore wall base element assembly can be driven furtherinto the bed of the body of water to again provide a level andimpermeable base for the shore wall barrier. The lagging can then bereplaced with additional lagging on top of the original lagging to bringthe top of the wall to its original height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the level shore wall in its preferredembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the shore wall base element assembly ofthe level shore wall and soldier pile retaining wall leveling anderosion control base plate assembly.

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the reinforcing gussets of the shore wallbase element assembly of the level shore wall.

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the framing elements of the shore wall baseelement assembly of the level shore wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the novel shore wall or retainingwall of the invention intended for installation along the periphery of abody of water. A plurality of vertical soldier pilings (1) are driven orpounded into the bed of the body of water along a longitudinal centerline with uniform spacing equivalent to the longitudinal dimension ofthe shore wall base element assembly (2) and lagging panels (3). Theopposing transverse slots (4-5) of the vertical soldier pilings areequivalent width to the width of the framing element (6) of the shorewall base element assembly. The side edge framing element is slottedinto the receiving slot of the soldier pile which is an I-beam in thepreferred embodiment. After the shore wall base element is insertedbetween adjacent soldier pilings, the shore wall base element is drivenor pounded into the bed of the body of water (7). The same mechanism isrepeated for a plurality of shore wall base elements which are driven orpounded into the lake bed so that they are level with the adjacent shorewall base elements. Lagging of equivalent width to the framing elementsis then inserted in the slot made by the soldier piling where it isplaced atop the shore wall base element to provide a level uppermostedge (8) to the finished shore wall. This is repeated with a pluralityof lagging so that the uppermost edge of each lagging panel is level andthe same height above the surface of the water as any adjacent laggingpanel. As can be seen, the lower most edge of the shore wall baseelement is fully embedded in the bed of the body of water to preventmigration of water through the shore wall base element. The shore wallbase elements are leveled in the horizontal plane to ensure that thelagging panels inserted atop the shore wall base elements will also belevel. In situations where there is a steep drop off of the bed of thebody of water, the shore wall base element can be incrementally lowerthan the shore wall base element adjacent to it in an amount equivalentto the height of the adjacent lagging panel, and in that situation,multiple lagging panels can be added atop a shore wall base element toachieve a level uppermost edge of the shore wall that is uniform inheight above the surface of the body of water. The same method andassembly can be implemented as a retaining wall by embedding the shorewall base element assembly (now called a retaining wall base elementassembly) into dry ground instead of the bed of a body of water.

FIG. 2 illustrates a pictorial view of the shore wall base elementassembly comprised of a rectangular metal wall panel (9) with anopposing upper edge (10) and lower edge (11) and opposing transverseside edges (12-13). The upper edge and transverse side edges of themetal wall panel are supported by framing elements (14) along thoseedges. Reinforcing gussets (15) are connected perpendicular to the upperedge of the framing element and perpendicular to the rectangular metalwall panel, terminating to the equivalent width of the rectangular metalwall panel at its lower edge. The reinforcing gussets provide rigidityto the shore wall base element and also help the shore wall base elementcut into the bed of the body of water or ground because of thewedge-shaped design and orientation. The shore wall base element can beconstructed in a variety of sizes.

FIG. 3 illustrates the detail of the reinforcing gussets (16), showingthe wedge shape of the gussets which terminate at the lower edge of therectangular metal wall panel (17) and expand to the width of the framingelement on the upper edge of the rectangular metal wall panel (18).

FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed view of the framing element along theupper edge (19) and opposing transverse side edges (20-21) of therectangular metal wall panel. When the shore wall base element isleveled upon being embedded into the bed of the body of water or ground,the framing element at the upper edge of the shore wall base elementwill be level, enabling level lagging panels to be placed atop theframing element's uppermost surface.

Testing and experimentation has revealed the best mode contemplated forthe retaining or shore wall design, which includes the use of 20′ longI-beams as soldier pilings with receiving slots that are 5″ wide toaccommodate the side edge framing element of the shore wall base elementassembly. Also, testing and experimentation has revealed the best modeof the invention includes a shore wall base element that has a verticaldimension of 4′, a horizontal dimension of 10′ and includes arectangular metal wall panel formed from ¼″ plate mild steel. Testingand experimentation has also revealed the best mode of the inventionincludes framing elements along the upper edge and transverse side edgesof the shore wall base elements including framing elements that are madeof C-5 channel steel that is 5″ wide. Lagging is commonly available witha 5′ vertical dimension, 10′ horizontal dimension and 5″ depthdimension. The I-beam soldier pilings are spaced 10′ apart at theirvertical centers to accommodate 10′ horizontal dimension shore wall baseelement assemblies and 10′ horizontal dimension lagging.

The foregoing description of the invention has been presented forpurposes of illustration and the description is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.Modifications and variations are possible in light of the abovedisclosure. The embodiment was chosen and described to best explain theinvention and its application to enable others skilled in the art tobest use the invention in those embodiments and with variousmodifications suited to the particular use contemplated. Allsubstitutions and variations and equivalents thereof are encompassedwithin the scope of this invention, which is limited only by the claimsappended hereto.

I claim:
 1. A method of building a level shore wall, wherein thecompleted shore wall will have an upper horizontal surface that iselevated above and parallel to the surface of the body of water,comprising these steps: Embedding a plurality of vertical soldierpilings in the bed of the body of water, wherein the spacing between thevertical soldier pilings is uniform; Embedding fully the lowermost edgeof a plurality of shore wall base elements into the bed of the body ofwater, wherein said shore wall base elements are inserted betweenadjacent soldier pilings; Leveling each shore wall base element in thehorizontal plane.
 2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further stepof inserting one or more lagging panels atop each shore wall baseelement wherein the top most horizontal surface of each lagging panel islevel with the top most horizontal surface of any adjacent laggingpanel.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the vertical soldier pilings areI-beams.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the vertical soldier pilingsare I-beams.
 5. A method of building a level retaining wall, wherein thecompleted retaining wall will have an upper horizontal surface that islevel and above ground, comprising these steps: Embedding a plurality ofvertical soldier pilings in the ground, wherein the spacing between thevertical soldier pilings is uniform; Embedding fully the lowermost edgeof a plurality of retaining wall base elements into the ground, whereinsaid retaining wall base elements are inserted between adjacent soldierpilings; Leveling each retaining wall base element in the horizontalplane.
 6. The method of claim 5 comprising the further step of insertingone or more lagging panels atop each retaining wall base element whereinthe top most horizontal surface of each lagging panel is level with thetop most horizontal surface of any adjacent lagging panel.
 7. The methodof claim 5 wherein the vertical soldier pilings are I-beams.
 8. Themethod of claim 6 wherein the vertical soldier pilings are I-beams.
 9. Alevel shore wall comprising: At least one shore wall base elementwherein the said shore wall base element includes a rectangular metalwall panel having an opposing upper edge and lower edge, and opposingtransverse side edges, wherein said upper edge and said transverse sideedges are supported by a framing element, wherein said lower edge isfully embedded in the bed of a body of water, wherein said upper edge islevel in the horizontal plane; Means of leveling said upper edge; Aplurality of reinforcing gussets perpendicular to the said upper edgeframing element and said rectangular metal wall panel wherein saidreinforcing gussets are wedge-shaped; Means of connecting the saidreinforcing gussets to the rectangular metal wall panel and said upperedge framing element; A plurality of vertical soldier pilings having alongitudinal centerline and spaced uniformly, each of which includesopposing transverse slots for receiving one of said transverse sideframing elements.
 10. The level shore wall of claim 9 wherein saidvertical soldier pilings are I-beams.
 11. The level shore wall of claim9 wherein said rectangular metal wall panel is ¼″ plate steel.
 12. Alevel retaining wall comprising: At least one retaining wall baseelement wherein the said retaining wall base element includes arectangular metal wall panel having an opposing upper edge and loweredge, and opposing transverse side edges, wherein said upper edge andsaid transverse side edges are supported by a framing element, whereinsaid lower edge is fully embedded in the ground, wherein said upper endis level in the horizontal plane; Means of leveling said upper edge; Aplurality of reinforcing gussets perpendicular to the said upper edgeframing element and said rectangular metal wall panel wherein saidreinforcing gussets are wedge-shaped; Means of connecting the saidreinforcing gussets to the rectangular metal wall panel and said upperedge framing element; A plurality of vertical soldier pilings having alongitudinal centerline and spaced uniformly, each of which includesopposing transverse slots for receiving one of said transverse side edgeframing elements.
 13. The level retaining wall of claim 12 wherein saidvertical soldier pilings are I-beams.
 14. The level retaining wall ofclaim 12 wherein said rectangular metal wall panel is ¼″ plate steel.15. A soldier pile retaining wall leveling and erosion control baseplate assembly comprising: A rectangular metal wall panel having anopposing upper edge and lower edge, and opposing transverse side edges;A frame element placed along the said upper edge of the said rectangularmetal wall panel; A frame element placed along each said transverse sideedge of the said rectangular metal wall panel; Means of connecting thesaid frame elements to the said rectangular metal wall panel; Aplurality of vertical reinforcing gussets perpendicular to the saidupper edge framing element; Means of connecting the said reinforcinggussets to the rectangular metal wall panel and said upper edge framingelement.
 16. The soldier pile retaining wall leveling and erosioncontrol base plate assembly of claim 15 wherein said rectangular metalwall panel is ¼″ plate steel.